Exotic plants, shrubs and
trees
Eggplant
Gilo
Brazil (Solanum
gilo)
Decorative type with green fruits turning yellow, orange and then red. Packet of more than 25 seeds: $1,49
.
Cyphomandra abutiloides
Relative of the Tree Tomato or Tamarillo (Cyphomandra betacea),
this species is more manageable (1,5 to 1,8 m) and has a shorter cycle.
It blooms the first year, a few months after sowing. The crowns of
small
white flowers are followed by small, 1 inch decorative berries. Some
say these fruits are edible and have a nice flavor (like peach or
apricot), though the ones we grew did not taste great at all (climate?
strain?).
Large, tropical looking downy leaves. Place it outside during summer.
Rare.
South America.
Packet of 15 seeds: $1,99
Ashwagandha
Ginseng indien (Withania
somnifera)
Medicinal plant used for centuries in India for its therapeutic
virtues. Strengthens body and mind, alleviates insomnia, rheumatoid
arthritis, etc. Relieves stress. All parts of the plant can be used.
Steeped leaves makes a calming tea. Height: 40-60 cm (here). Easy to
grow (easier than chinese ginseng). Full sun. Tender perennial treated
as an annual.
Packet : $2,49
Gumi
(Elaeagnus multiflora)
Goumi du Japon
Shrub from Japan and China grown for centuries as an ornamental plant
and for its edible, tasty fruits looking like small cherries (about 2
cm or 3/4 inch). Pleasantly acidic, tart fruits, popular in Japan for
fresh eating or to make jellies, pies, sauces and wine. Can reach up to
7 feet but can also be grown as a bonsai. Perrenial to zone
5. Auto fertile. Slow germination: 2
to 8 weeks. Sow more than one seed at a time.
Packet of 8 seeds: $2,99
Lespedeza
(Trèfle arbustif ,
Lespedeza thunbergii)
Fast growing shrub with long arching branches covered in
rosy pink flowers at the end of summer. Blooms are similar to sweet
pea, clustered on long flower spikes (60 cm long). Full sun. Perennial
up to zone 4 or 5. Easy germination (1-2 weeks at 30 C). Can be used as
a single bush, as a hedge or to hang over walls. Popular in Japan.
Packet of 15 seeds: $2,99
.
.
Litchitomato Morelle de Balbis (Solanum sisymbrifolium)
White to pale blue flowers followed by decorative, 1 inch red
berries.
Spiny plant, about 1 to 1,5 m high. Click on photos for details. Fruits
are edible but rather bland. Blooms from July until frosts.
Packet of 15 seeds: $1,49
Lycium - Chinese Boxheart Lyciet de Chine (Lycium chinense)
Small 3 foot shrub with edible red berries. Fruits are consumed
fresh
or dried like raisins. They are also used as an ophthalmic herbal
medicine
in China and were included more recently in some dietary supplements.
The
dried berries taste somewhat like cranberries and have a very high
content
of beta carotene.
Packet is 30 seeds: $2.99
Naranjilla Lulo (Solanum quitoense)
Large subtropical plant from the andean plateau where it is grown for its delicious orange fruits. National fruit of Ecuador. Small, 3 to 5 cm orange fruits covered with fuzz. Beautiful emerald green pulp with tropical fruit flavor. To make a refreshing juice, simply add sugar and water. Ornamental plants with large purple veined leaves covered with a soft, downy fuzz. Height: 1,5-1,8 m. Needs 8 months of growth to produce fruits. May need hand pollination to set fruit. Also called "Lulo". Spiny strain with large fruits.
Packet of 15 seeds: $1,99
Link to picture of plant and fruits (Fruits from America, CIRAD)
Russian
Olive (Elaeagnus
angustifolia)Very hardy tree with scented flowers followed by small, olive like fruits. Cultivated in some parts of northern Europe and Tibet for its edible 3/4 inch fruits that can be used to season soups or to make jam. Willow like foliage with silvery undersides. Well adapted to cold winters and droughts. Can reach up to 25-30 feet. Used also for hedges (easy to trim) and windbreak. Full sun. Perennial to zone 2. Germination is erratic: 2 to 10 weeks.
Sorry, sold out.
Link to a picture of the tree (University of Wisconsin)
Paulownia
(Paulownia tomentosa, Empress
tree)Perennial. Fast-growing deciduous tree with nice scented flowers looking somewhat like snapdragons or foxgloves. Large, heart shaped leaves about 4 to 8 inches wide. Blooms in spring with 2 inch purple flowers. Can grow 6 or 7 feet in one season. Perennial to zone 6 and warmer parts of zone 5 (like Montreal). Protect from winter the first year. Seeds needs light to germinate.
Packet of more than 50 seeds: $2,99
Link to a picture of the flowers (University of Missouri)
Pepino
Dulce Pear Melon
(Solanum muricatum)
Andean plant grown for its refreshing fruits tasting somewhat like
a mix of melon, pear and cucumber. There's also a slight banana aroma
in there. Oval fruits, 12 cm long, cream to pale yellow, with purple
stripes. Yellow flesh, smooth and very juicy. Plant is potato leafed (Pic) with purple
flowers. can be grown in the north if plant are started inside very
early (jan-feb-march). Pepino plants are very easy to reproduce by
cuttings. They tend to crawl on the ground. May need staking when
fruiting. 50 cm high. Full sun. The unripe fruits can also be picked
and eaten (they taste like cucumber).
Packet of 10 seeds: $2,99
Kangaroo
Apple (Solanum
laciniatum)
Tall plant with deeply cut foliage and small purple flowers
followed
by small, 2-3cm egg shaped fruits. Settlers in New Zealand and
Australia
picked the fruits to make jam. If you want ripe fruits, and you live in
the north, you will have to bring the plant inside for the fruits to
mature
(around december). Also known as "Poroporo". Sow inside several weeks
before
last frost. 1,5 to 2 m tall.
Small packet of more than 10 seeds: $2,49
Solanum
mammosum (Nipple Fruit, Cows Udder) Plant bearing strange looking fruits resembling a pig's head, a cow's udder or little feet. Small purple flowers blooming from July until frosts. Non edible, toxic fruits. Fruits get their yellowish orange color in september. Spiny plants. Stems covered with fruits are used in dried flowers arrangements, they last for up to 3 weeks. Full sun to part shade. 1,2 to 1,5 m.
Packet of 10 seeds: $1,99
Tamarillo Tree Tomato (Cyphomandra betacea)
Small subtropical tree bearing clusters of 3-4" egg shaped red fruits looking somewhat like tomatoes. Can be grown outdoors year-round in frost free areas or as a big container plant that can be placed outside in the summer. The sweet-tart, acidic fruits have a meaty pulp and bring to mind the flavors of tomato, orange and lime. Can be used raw but also in any imaginable way (cooked, preserved, jams, juice, etc.). A high yielder after one year of growth. Packet is 8 seeds: $2,49
Cannibal's Tomato (Solanum uporo,
Anthropophagorum)
A curiosity with bright red, golfball-size fruits on a
eggplant style shrub. Decorative berries, not really edible, though the
legend goes that they were used by cannibals to make sauce (?). From
Tahiti and Fuji. White flowers, 1 m high. Packet of 35 seeds: 1,99$
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